What questions should you ask the employer in an interview?
Ask two or three questions that help you decide if the job is right and show you have thought about doing it: "What would success look like in the first 90 days?", "What is the biggest challenge for the person in this role?", "How does the team work together day to day?" and "What are the next steps?". Never say you have no questions.
Below are 35 questions to ask the employer, grouped by what you want to find out, the best ones for each interviewer, questions that politely uncover warning signs, and the ones to avoid.
Key takeaways
- Ask two or three questions; write down five beforehand.
- Ask about the first 90 days, the biggest challenge, the team and the next steps.
- Adapt your questions to the interviewer: recruiter, manager, teammate or leader.
- Some questions politely uncover turnover and workload.
- Never say you have no questions.
Why the questions you ask matter
"Do you have any questions for us?" is part of the assessment. Good questions show you prepared, that you can picture yourself in the role and what you care about. They are also your only chance to test whether the job matches the advert.
The National Careers Service suggests thinking of questions while you research the company and writing them down before the interview. Take five; some will be answered during the conversation, and you will still have two left.
Questions to understand the role
- What does a typical week look like in this role?
- What would success look like in the first 90 days?
- What is the biggest challenge for the person in this role right now?
- Is this a new role or a replacement? If a replacement, what did the last person do well?
- Which tasks take up most of the time?
- How is performance measured, and how often is it reviewed?
- What would you want the new person to change or improve first?
Questions to judge the team and the manager
- How big is the team, and what does everyone do?
- Which other teams would I work with most?
- How would you describe your management style?
- How does the team share updates: meetings, chat, documents?
- What do the people who do well here have in common?
- How are disagreements usually settled in the team?
- Could I speak to someone on the team before deciding?
Questions about growth and training
- What training would I get in the first months?
- Where have people in this role moved on to within the company?
- Is there a budget or time for courses and certifications?
- How are promotions decided?
- Does the company support moving between teams?
Questions about the company
- I read that you [recent news]. How will that affect this team?
- What are the company's main goals for the next year?
- What do you personally enjoy most about working here?
- How has the company changed since you joined?
- How does hybrid or remote working work in practice for this team?
Question 20 only works if you replace [recent news] with something real and checked: a new office, a product launch, an acquisition. It proves you did your homework.
Questions that politely uncover warning signs
You want to know about turnover, workload and stability without sounding suspicious. These questions do that:
- How long have people on the team been here, on average?
- What does a busy period look like, and how often does it happen?
- What is something the team is working to get better at?
- How has the team changed over the last year?
- What made the last person in this role leave?
Listen to how the answer is given as much as to what is said. A vague answer to the turnover question is information too.
Questions to close the interview
- What are the next steps in the process?
- When do you expect to make a decision?
- Is there anything about my background you would like me to expand on?
- Is there anything that makes you unsure about my fit for the role?
The last two take nerve, but they give you a chance to clear up a doubt before you leave the room.
The best questions for each interviewer
| Interviewer | Ask about | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Recruiter or HR | The process, the package, the timeline | "What are the stages after this one?" |
| Hiring manager | Priorities, challenges, how the team works | "What would success look like in 90 days?" |
| Future teammate | The real day to day | "What do you wish you'd known in your first month?" |
| Senior leader | Strategy and where the team fits | "How does this team help the company's goals this year?" |
Two bonus questions for any interviewer: "What do you enjoy most about your job?" (34) and "What would you tell a friend thinking of joining?" (35).
Questions not to ask in an interview
| Avoid | Why | Ask instead |
|---|---|---|
| "What does your company do?" | Shows no preparation | A question about something specific they do |
| "How much holiday do I get?" in the first interview | Sounds like your priority | Save it for the offer stage |
| "Did I get the job?" | Puts the interviewer on the spot | "What are the next steps?" |
| A question they already answered | Shows you were not listening | Build on what they said |
| "Do you check when people log in?" | Suggests you plan to do the minimum | "How does the team plan its week?" |
Salary is a fair question with HR or a recruiter. With the hiring manager, let them raise it or wait for the offer. If you are asked about your own expectations, the salary expectations answer generator helps you word it.
Prepare your questions before the day
Pick five from this list, adapt each to the job advert and write them down. Then practice the rest of the interview: how to answer interview questions has the method, and the free AI mock interview lets you rehearse out loud with follow-up questions. In the live video interview, ClapAssist shows suggested answers from your resume; check first whether the employer allows AI help.
Sources
Outside pages that back the advice above, opened and checked on the date shown.
- Interview advice: think of questions while researching the company and write them down, National Careers Service. Checked 24 Oct 2026.
Md Emteshal has 2 years of experience in SEO and writes guides for ClapAssist, but is not a recruiter or a career coach. The interview advice in these guides comes from the sources listed on each page, which are opened and checked before publishing.